Happily ever after with a little flavor

[missrecalled_mods]

Sponsors for the ship? So... Sponsor'ship?

Rare had an hour seemed so long on the Isle, or carried so much hope. The King and Queen spoke to all who wished to speak with them, and to Yen Sid. At one point they even opened the barrier enough to go back to the ship where they conferred inside a silence spell with Sylvando. And once more for the King and Queen to return a few minutes later. Then back on the Isle they pulled a few individuals aside once more. Oddly, not those from the Isle this time. Aqua first. Then Lea. Then Æn'kae.

Finally the hour came to an end and the King and Queen called for everyone's attention. Mal stepped forward to address everyone.

"Alright, so here is how this is going to work," she told them without preamble, once she had their attention. The wind pulled at her purple hair, pulling it like a banner behind her. "Here are the terms by which we will take the people we will name to Auradon. Each person will be assigned a sponsor. If you want to change sponsors you may let us know once we are back in Auradon. Your Sponsor will be watching out for you. You need to check in with him, her, or them, regularly. How often that will be will be between you and your sponsor, but the sponsors will report to King Ben and myself. Behave and you'll get to stay in Auradon, and we will let you know when your probation is over and you no longer need to check in with your sponsor. Break the rules of Auradon, hurt anyone, steal.... depending on how bad the act and how many were harmed, we may, with your sponsor decide to give you a warning... or you may wind up back here. This is a chance to prove that the sorting magic was wrong, that you are good people. Or can become good people given the chance." Mal looked and sounded like she was clearly waiting to make her own judgments.

"As I list each name, please go to your sponsor if he, she, or they is here. If not, come stand with the king and I."

She took a deep breath. "Xion, your sponsor is Lea." she pointed to him, suspecting that she didn't actually have to, but it was good to set a pattern.

"Utau, you are with Sylvando, who is on the ship so come join us." Then a bit of a wicked grin. "He's also keeping an eye on Nadeshiko and Nagihiko, why not let him keep an eye on all three of you," she said, knowing she was throwing fuel on an explosion waiting to happen. But she trusted Sylvando to sort out which of the kids actually belonged on the Isle.

"River you are with Æn'ki. Hope you like animals," she said with a grin that wasn't all that softer than her last as she gestured to him.

"Morgana and Emporio, you are with Aqua," she added nodding to the woman with the blue hair. "Of course we understand if any of you want to stay..."

She turned to the Headmaster. Doctor F.... We're aware of you, and your efforts, I assure you. We'll be speaking with those heading to Auradon. But for now, stay where we can see you while the rest of you, those coming with us? You have ten minutes to get your stuff if you have any and say goodbyes to anyone if you want to. Goodbyes with the headmaster will be supervised so we can make sure he is being as good as he claims these days. Alright. Ten minutes, starting now!"


**************************************************

The gathering of belongings and saying of goodbyes was accomplished in the allotted ten minutes without much trouble. Getting everyone onto the boat, then equipped with lifejackets- thankfully the boat's owner was a bit over prepared so there were enough for everyone, if only just-, and reasonably settled for the trip back took a bit longer, however. The boat was a large catamaran, painted mostly in blue and purple pastels. The life jackets however, were the standard safety orange, and so stood out as sharply as they were meant to. The water was still rough so once everyone was equipped, Sylvando advised those unused to boat travel to settle down somewhere until they were in calmer waters.

Getting back to the mainland took time as well, though not quite as much as getting there had, as the tide was in their favor for the return trip. Still, there would be plenty of time for conversation, awkward silences, or angry glaring during the trip. And Sylvando himself wouldn't be adverse to conversation, provided it didn't interfere with the steering of the vessel. Those without their sea legs would also want to be careful walking around, as the boat-while large for a catamaran- wasn't large enough to prevent it from rocking.

Once they'd reached the harbor and the Bibbity Bobber had been secured in her berth, her passengers and crew disembarked and began the trek back up to the school. There seemed to be an inordinate amount of junk that had once been clearly blocking the road before the path to and from the harbor had been cleared. All of it was the sort of things one might expect to find in a modern city- cars, sign boards, fallen trees and lamp posts, etc- but there seemed to be too much of it for the simple vanishing of the populace to account for it all. Very odd.

Once they arrived at the school, they were led past the pretentious sign and statue of King Beast and directed into the lobby. There, they were issued phones and information sheets. On account of everyone being exhausted, no formal welcoming ceremony was planned for that evening, and those staying were directed to the dorms to get showered and settled in. Since that was sure to be a process in itself, Ben, Mal, Sylvando, the other sponsors, and anyone who still had the energy would likely be around for all that as well until everyone got settled. Thankfully the exhaustion had been anticipated, and it was announced that there was soup in the kitchen's refrigerator that had been premade and portioned out and needed only to be reheated for supper at each person's leisure.

The next morning however, proved that Auradon was still Auradon and couldn't really go without some kind of official welcome, as those who came down to the lobby would find a simple but tasty breakfast of muffins, fruit - provided by Malia-, tea, and coffee waiting for them along with the eternally chipper Sylvando, ready to answer any further questions they might have.


****************


Professor Yen Sid and the Headmaster stood and watched the ship through the barrier until they could no longer see it. Then the headmaster, looking bitter, turned on his heel, stalked back to the school, muttering under his breath about needing to speak with someone. He did not say who, but it did not seem like it was likely to be a pleasant conversation.

Yen Sid, on the other hand, turned to those who chose to remain. “Shall we get these supplies in before the humidity destroys them?” he asked, gathering his things into his bag before grabbing it and one of the boxes.

Comments

[elvendryad]

Judging by the distinct lack of anything resembling an immediate agreement, bets were that they were likely not on the same page about this.

But, after a good pause, a slow nod. "...I see."

Another little pause, still eyeing him as he considered. "It sounds much like the way a parent would decide things for children, to teach them how to mediate their own conflicts. From your line of questioning, would I be correct in assuming that the adult populace of many places here need to be treated so on a regular basis?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"This is not treating adults as children, this is working together as a society. Tell me, have you heard the phrase that begins 'an eye for an eye'?"

[elvendryad]

He didn't look like he did; a second's consideration, then "Humor me...?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"The full saying is that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth shall leave us all blind and toothless. The root of it is that revenge is not a single retaliation for a harm done, it is a cycle that does not end before it is too late for all involved. And one of the biggest tragedies of such situations is the inevitable escalation."

He ran a hand through his beard. "They harmed you, or someone you care about. So you feel you have the right to hurt them. Now you've hurt them. So now they feel they have the right to hurt you..." He shook his head. "Does this sound ideal to you?"

[elvendryad]

"No. But neither does it sound like my kind's way to begin with. If it is the humans', perhaps it is no wonder that they need be treated as children, and incapable of solving their own disputes." Honestly, he wasn't sure how much either of them was getting from this conversation; none of this seemed to paint humans in a particularly good light, to him. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. He hoped it was a misunderstanding.... But it would make so many of the past incidents make a bit more sense.

Perhaps he'd been naïve, giving certain humans far, far more respect than they'd deserved. Perhaps he'd erred in thinking they were capable of learning at all, if it was so accepted that they could act as such self-centered, thoughtless brats because their society would treat them as large children.

But actual children were capable of learning.

He made a quiet sound of his breath, looking down just slightly as he thought it over a moment. "...You bring this up why, though?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"I am sorry that you feel that way, and that you needed to ask," he said softly, shaking his head. "Let me match your question with another... What do you think is the purpose of the King and Queen's jobs?"

[elvendryad]

"Here, you mean?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"Or elsewhere if you prefer."

[elvendryad]

He shrugged. "Enlighten me?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"I asked your opinion, it serves neither of us if I give it to you."

[elvendryad]

Another long breath, once again contemplating his answer before giving it. "What little I know is that the humans seem to have... some sort of arrangement, in which most of them work hard, but have little, because most of what they have is taken from them and given to those who have managed to place themselves in positions of power over the others -- seldom through actual merit, often through coercion, sometimes force, frequently through conspiracy for mutual benefit of those taking power, and occasionally for no better reason than that they were fortunate enough to be born to someone who already managed to achieve it. And 'kings' and 'queens' are mostly of the latter. There's... usually some sort of rationalization to the arrangement, like organizing the people under them to be more, or sometimes less hostile toward people being similarly mistreated by other rival humans in various positions of power. Or they take credit for having the people under them do that which said people would have figured out on their own anyway, like clearing paths between settlements."

Ah, politics. And as neutral as he was mostly managing to keep his tone, Yen Sid could likely catch on easily enough that he thought the whole thing entirely ridiculous, if not actually disgusting to some degree.

[misery_called_npcs]

"I see. With such a dim view as that, perhaps I can see why you confuse revenge with justice. A good king and queen however, do their best to protect and guide their people, and one of the ways they do that is the creation and enforcement of laws. A proper justice system to protect the weak and dissuade people from doing harm to others. Punishment is known in advance. Or at least a selection of punishments are. For many people knowing if they are caught hurting someone they would, for example, spend a number of years in a dungeon, they might be less likely to hurt someone. But if they know of no such law and they hurt someone and then someone hurts them back... they could feel it is unjustified and then seek their own revenge in an endless cycle of escalation."

[elvendryad]

Chell eyed him silently for a good long moment, expression unreadable.

"A few things.... First, what have I said to make you think I have revenge and justice confused in the first place?

"Secondly, what makes you think there are 'good' kings or queens in my part of my world? How would you like to attempt to justify to me that I have apparently been too harsh, in your view, with those monsters that chase down innocents to end their lives? Far from being against any law, they encourage one another to murder my kind. They find it praiseworthy, and I know this for a fact." He narrowed his eyes a little, leaning back against the shelf to fold his arms, settling there for an explanation. "But I have been too mean to them? ....Their own understanding is that murder, at least of each other, is punishable by death... and again, I have killed none of them, despite them ending a good many others' lives, over the centuries.

"Third... What would you have me do with them instead? Leave my forest, to drag them by their ears to their rulers, like petulant children? ...Complain that they've spilled innocent blood yet again, and expect anything other than their swords at my neck once more, for daring to exist? More than that, for daring to set foot in the lands they stole from my kind, ages back?"

He tilted his head, still apparently calm as ever. "Why do you assume that what I've done is more than any of them have deserved, when I have been far kinder to them than their own kind would have been, had we been human ourselves? Why do you seem to think that I am not already showing them far more kindness than they have ever shown us?

"...What would you expect to happen to them, if I did leave their fates up to their rulers?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"Perhaps there is a fundamental disconnect in our conversation. Perhaps if you tell me more about your world and the people therein?"

[elvendryad]

He raised an eyebrow at that, still leaning relaxedly against the shelf. There was something about his expression... he was trying to keep it neutral, but if Yen Sid were paying close enough attention, something was definitely hinting, though he was rather set on hiding it. Was it, perhaps, a faint smile? It would make sense, given that they were making progress in understanding one another better now, wouldn't it? The subject matter may not have been the most pleasant, but....

"You suppose so? Very well; what confuses you about any of it? I shall try to clarify, where I may be able."

[misery_called_npcs]

"Why don't you tell me about your world and how leadership and justice work there."

[elvendryad]

"That's... very broad. I...." He was trying to figure out what to even say to that, but finally just shook his head, deciding to ask differently. "You mean... among my people...?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"Among all people you consider relevant or potentially relevant to this conversation."

[elvendryad]

Congratulations on stumping him -- terrible pun fully intended -- for a moment while he tries to figure out where to even start with that, or what he could say. "We... didn't, much. Not that I recall."

He tilted his head a little, frowning a bit to himself as he tried figuring out any examples he could give. "I lived alone... and though some kin visited me, we had no problems from within, as we did from the humans. Parents would have to teach their very young children better at times, such as when it came to destroying flowers out of curiosity, but...." But that probably wasn't what the wizard was asking about, was it? ...Maybe he could be more precise, in his questions?

[misery_called_npcs]

"So you have little experience with the rules needed when people gather in large numbers?"

[elvendryad]

"I lived in one of our larger towns, before my forest. And I am certain that there were gatherings, as well, with those from other such places. They were large parties, and happened several times a year. But I remember no fuss about rules changing for those. Why would they need to?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"What were the rules as they stood, then?"

[elvendryad]

"To... behave...?" He made a little bit of a face, trying and failing to come up with how to answer that one. "Do I understand this correctly, that you expect my kind to keep a specific list of rules... in general, at all times? ...Rather than expect one another to simply behave as rational adults ought to? That's...." He shook his head a little and sighed, thinking it over just a second. "Give, as you would receive? Cooperate and help one another? Be respectful? ...What rules do humans decide on, such as you would wish to know about?"

Maybe if he heard some examples, the question would make more sense to him?

[misery_called_npcs]

"You wish examples of human laws?" he asked, to be certain, stroking his beard.

[elvendryad]

"Perhaps it would help," he agreed.